Bursting out of the classroom, Hu Xin let out a loud yell, hurling the ballpoint pen he was holding high into the sky without a care for where it might land. These past few days of final exams had absolutely crushed him, but thankfully, he had crammed intensely a while back, so he was fairly certain he wouldn't fail any classes.

“Littering, watch out or I’ll have someone come catch you!”

Xiao Dai, who had been waiting for Hu Xin, immediately stepped forward and glared at him. Xiao Bin had officially been elected the new Student Council President right before the exams. Xiao Dai and Xiao Bin had already agreed that she would join the Student Council too, specifically the Life Department. The Life Department handled all sorts of trivial matters, and campus sanitation actually fell under their purview.

“No, no, wait! Where are Zhang Yang and the others?”

Hu Xin immediately threw his hands up in surrender. Xiao Dai wasn't in the Student Council yet, but she had already established good connections with people in the Student Affairs Department, so she could genuinely make good on her threat to have Hu Xin caught.

“I don’t know. Mi Xue hasn’t finished testing yet; he probably went to pick her up!”

Xiao Dai shook her head. When it came to academics, she greatly admired Zhang Yang. Throughout these exams, Zhang Yang had appeared remarkably relaxed, often being the first to submit his paper and leave the room. And every time he emerged, a smile played on his lips. With the foundation from his previous life and solid recent review, these finals posed little challenge for him. He finished early because he was completely done; as a doctor, thoroughness was paramount in his work, meaning his papers were perfect upon completion with virtually no errors needing correction.

“Let’s go, we should head over too!”

Hu Xin immediately pulled Xiao Dai’s hand. She flushed, tugged back slightly, but since she couldn't break free, she let him lead her. The relationship between them remained awkwardly undefined, yet spurred on by Zhang Yang and Mi Xue, their displays of physical closeness had increased recently. That thin veil separating them was almost pierced, but neither was willing to make the decisive move to break it open gently.

Mi Xue was taking her exam in the Foreign Languages College building. By the time the two arrived, a large crowd had already gathered outside the building. The Foreign Languages department was always the last to finish exams, and because the college was notoriously full of beautiful women, the crowd amassed outside as the semester concluded naturally grew quite substantial.

“So many people?”

Hu Xin was momentarily stunned by the crowd. Of the people waiting outside, nine out of ten were male—either waiting for girlfriends or female companions.

“Zhang Yang is over there!”

Xiao Dai suddenly pointed. Near the steps, watching a small group, were Zhang Yang, Xiao Bin, Gu Cheng, and Nan Nan.

“Those unloyal guys, not even waiting for me!”

Hu Xin grumbled indignantly, but right after he spoke, Xiao Dai tapped him on the head.

“You’re the slow one; why blame others for not waiting for you? Am I not waiting for you now?”

The last sentence held the real weight; Xiao Dai was chastising Hu Xin for prioritizing others over her.

“No, I didn’t mean anything by it. Having you wait for me is more than enough!”

Hu Xin immediately flashed a wide, apologetic grin. Finally, his mind had cleared, and he avoided digging himself into a deeper hole, which would surely lead to trouble later.

“Hu Xin and Xiao Dai are here!”

Xiao Bin was the first to spot them, saying so with a cheerful laugh. Since becoming Student Council President, Xiao Bin carried himself distinctly differently; he now exuded a touch of leadership aura, and his manner of speaking had greatly improved. Environment truly impacts a person, capable of fundamentally changing them.

Zhou Yichen had departed, but the Student Council hadn't descended into chaos. Zhang Yang had left behind funds, only a portion of which Xiao Bin had spent; the majority remained untouched. Coupled with Zhang Yang's lingering influence, Xiao Bin had perhaps taken over as the most smoothly transitioned President in history. Zhou Yichen’s former cronies, left rudderless after his downfall, had either been purged by Xiao Bin, were keeping a low profile, or had defected to join him. Currently, no one in the Student Council dared oppose the new President. Even the veterans like Wang Guohua were extremely cooperative with Xiao Bin. Past incidents had made them thoroughly realize the vast gulf between themselves and Zhang Yang. Xiao Bin was President, but everyone knew he represented Zhang Yang; opposing him meant opposing Zhang Yang—none of them were foolish enough for that. In short, Xiao Bin’s tenure as President was exceedingly comfortable.

Even Gu Cheng had been enjoying a run of good fortune. He was now the Minister of External Relations. He managed the finances while Xiao Bin managed the politics; their synergy was flawless, making them the two most crucial figures in the Student Council. They had mentioned this to Zhang Yang several times, but he showed little interest, so they had stopped bringing it up.

“Chengzi, how were your exams? You won’t fail anything, right?”

Hu Xin walked over and greeted Gu Cheng first. Among the group, only his and Gu Cheng’s grades were slightly weaker. Xiao Bin, as President, couldn't afford poor grades, as academic standing remained important among the student body. Gu Cheng’s perceived weakness was relative; he worked far harder than Hu Xin.

Hu Xin’s casual jab immediately soured Gu Cheng’s expression. He retorted sharply, “Watch your mouth, man! You’ll fail before I do!”

Xiao Bin chimed in immediately, “Yeah, I bet Hu Xin fails everything this time. Remember freshman year, didn’t you fail every single class?”

The two were in perfect sync, speaking together, which instantly darkened Hu Xin’s mood.

“Great President, can we avoid bringing up what shouldn’t be mentioned? I failed because I was hospitalized!”

Hu Xin said ruefully. Failing all his freshman courses was an indelible stain on his life story, and he detested anyone mentioning it. There had, indeed, been a valid reason then: he’d injured himself playing basketball, spent over a month in the hospital, and subsequently failed. The school had later acknowledged his exceptional circumstances, allowing him to make up the classes to pass, preventing him from being held back.

“Alright, stop it, everyone. Mi Xue should be out soon. To celebrate finishing exams, I’m treating everyone to dinner at Wangyue Tower tonight!”

Zhang Yang interrupted them. It was impossible for this group to gather without some teasing and bickering. However, their squabbles never affected the bond between them.

“Wangyue Tower! Awesome, Long live the Boss!”

Gu Cheng shouted first. Wangyue Tower was an upscale establishment in the city center, ranking higher in class and amenities than Kaixuan Tower. It offered dining, a hotel, and KTV—a large, integrated leisure complex. After Young Master Su had taken them there once, they had all been unable to forget it.

“Boss, I want the biggest lobster they have!”

Hu Xin’s mouth was already watering. Wangyue Tower’s specialty was seafood, renowned for its incredible taste; every patron praised it highly.

“Eat, eat, eat! That one lobster costs more than your living stipend!”

Xiao Dai pinched him lightly. Hu Xin winced, quickly dodging backward. “Don’t worry, I’ll be earning my own money soon too. Chengzi and I agreed—we’re not going home this summer. We’re going to work!”

“Work? Where are you two planning to work?”

Xiao Dai asked curiously. Hu Xin and Gu Cheng had long discussed working over the summer, but it had only been in the planning stages until now. With the break imminent, they could finally announce it.

Gu Cheng nodded and whispered, “We plan to work as deliverymen. It might be tiring, but it doesn’t require specialized skills, and it’ll keep us fit!”

“Exactly! When we come back after the summer, you’ll see I’ve gotten even stronger!”

Hu Xin added immediately, striking a deliberately exaggerated pose afterward.

“Chengzi, what exactly will you be delivering?” Zhang Yang turned back and asked quietly. He hadn't known about their plan to find summer jobs. Since Gu Cheng and Hu Xin were good friends, Zhang Yang naturally wanted to help within his capabilities, though he respected their own intentions.

“We’re going to work for a logistics company. I’ve thought it over; the money might not be huge, but it’s good for experience, and we’ll meet a lot of people, preparing us for the future!” Gu Cheng replied instantly.

Zhang Yang nodded. “Logistics companies do need a lot of people, but pure manual laborers don’t earn much, and it’s grueling work. I remember they also hire drivers with their own trucks—you two could get licenses and buy a light truck to make deliveries. You’d earn much more that way!”

Zhang Yang didn't know much about logistics, only recalling occasional mentions from Su Zhantao in the past.

Gu Cheng scratched his head and shook it slightly. “Getting a license takes time, and we don't have that right now. Plus, we don't have money for a vehicle. We’d better earn money with physical labor first and buy a truck later when we have the funds!”

Registering for driving lessons costs money, and buying a vehicle is a significant expense. Even a small truck costs tens of thousands—something entirely out of reach for Gu Cheng and Hu Xin’s current circumstances.

Zhang Yang lightly shook his head and smiled directly. “Don’t you worry about that. I can find someone to help you get your licenses, and I’ll buy the truck for you first. Consider the money a loan; you can pay me back once you start earning.”

Hauling cargo was undeniably the most difficult and poorly paid work. While it was a form of training, it felt like a waste of their potential. Zhang Yang was now perfectly capable of setting them up with a much higher starting point. Su Zhantao could assist with the licenses, and a small truck was only thirty or forty thousand RMB—an amount Zhang Yang certainly didn't lack. This way, both of them could start at a better level, saving time and leading to better future development. Currently, this was all Zhang Yang felt he could offer them. He couldn't simply fund a company startup for them; that would be like forcing growth, offering them no real benefit, and they’d likely run the business into the ground. Buying a small truck to work for a logistics firm or other businesses, taking on jobs—this was a simple venture, lower risk, but still demanding hard work and perseverance, thus still serving as excellent training. Furthermore, they could drive and deliver goods even after the semester began. Their final year of medical school would start late in their fifth year, and if their course load allowed, they could balance it. With the Student Council chapter closing, the protagonist’s campus life would become less central, his family situation would gradually emerge, and the world ahead would expand further—more excitement was imminent.